Tyler the Creator’s odd past, bright future

Band: Tyler the Creator with special guest Taco Date: Saturday, July 18 with doors at 9 p.m. Venue: Soul Kitchen, 219 Dauphin St.,www.soulkitchenmobile.com Tickets: $15-$30 (front and center for $55), available at Soul Kitchen, its website or by calling 1-866-468-7630

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Tyler the Creator (born Tyler Okonma) is one reaction to the stagnation of hip-hop in recent years. As both a solo artist and a founding member of the Odd Future collective, Tyler the Creator is unrestrained. Controversial lyrics and otherworldly beats have earned him both respect and disdain in the industry. But in spite of harsh criticism at times, he continues to expand his audience with apparent ease. In a recent interview with Lagniappe, Tyler the Creator opened up, discussing the various facets of his musical career as well as his latest release, “Cherry Bomb.”

Stephen Centanni: There are a lot of things I admire about you. One of the things is that you’re hardcore DIY for a hip-hop artist. A lot of DIY hip-hop artists limit themselves to recording on their own and putting out albums or mixtapes. You were writing, producing and recording as well as doing graphic design for both your albums and your merch. Why do you think more up-and-coming hip-hop artists aren’t going all out with DIY?

Tyler the Creator: Sh*t, I don’t know. Not everyone does everything. It’s not that weird. Some people are good at rapping, and some are good at making beats. I just had my hand in everything. I have a clear vision of what I want, and I’d rather do it myself. I was able to do it myself. Not everyone has that [ability]. I can’t build my car when someone else can do it. You know what I mean?

Centanni: A lot of people focus on your lyrics, but one thing I and other people have talked about is your beats. “Tamale” is one song that comes to mind. I’ve never heard anyone lay out rhymes so neatly on a beat like that. Where do those beats come from? Do you start with a beat in your head?

Tyler: I’m a fan of music first. I think a big difference between me and other rappers is that I’m a fan of music and not just rap. You have a lot of people who like hip-hop, and that’s all they care about. Me, I like every aspect of music, whether it’s dancing or playing the drums or playing the guitar or punk music. I like everything. When I’m making music, I’m not making rap music. I’m just making music. I just so happen to rap, so I decided to put raps over these things. Even the way that I structure my instrumentals and things, that comes from the different soul and funk music that I love. So, I guess that’s what makes me stand out.

Centanni: One thing I’ve noticed about some of your fans is that they have this love/hate thing with you. It’s almost the same conversation every time. People will be like, “Yeah, Tyler’s cool and everything, but he talks about raping pregnant women and stuff. I just don’t know.” But they still love you. What’s your reaction to people who say things like that?

Tyler: I don’t know. I guess I’m that guy people love to hate. I guess I’m interesting enough that they watch whatever I put out or like to look at it, just so they can say something about me that they don’t like, which is kind of cool. Deep down inside there must be something that keeps them coming back. So, I guess I’m doing something right.

Centanni: You’ve earned a lot of respect in the hip-hop scene. On your latest album, “Cherry Bomb,” you’ve got guest spots from Kanye West, Lil Wayne and even Charlie Wilson from The Gap Band. When you think back to the early days of your career, like the “Goblin” [debut album] days, how does it feel to feature big names like that on your album?

Tyler: It’s crazy, you know? I’m fans of everyone that I work with. There was a time when I hated Kanye and Wayne. I was a fan of them, but I was annoyed by them. It’s crazy that all those artists that I grew up listening to respect me enough to even speak to me. So, to even work with them on my project on what specifically I want them on is amazing, and I’m grateful. It still shocks me, and it makes me happy.

Centanni: One thing that the critics are saying about “Cherry Bomb” is that you have these hardcore critiques about the modern hip-hop scene. To me, you’ve done that since the beginning. What changes would you like to see in modern hip-hop?

Tyler: I mean, man, I personally don’t care what they do, man. I’m just gonna do my thing, man. I don’t even pay attention enough to really know what’s going on in this world. I’m not as aware as I could be, but whatever. I focus on what I’m into and what I like. Yeah, I just keep it going.

Centanni: This is your first album without Odd Future collaborations. What was it like working without them?

Tyler: I view every album like a scene from a movie or a painting. If a certain color isn’t needed to make it perfect or if a certain actor isn’t needed in a scene, don’t put it just to put. We’re going to make more music and sh*t, but for this particular album, my boys weren’t really needed for this one. I personally picked every person that I collaborated with on specific songs. My boys weren’t really needed this time around.

Centanni: You’ll be making your Mobile debut at the Soul Kitchen, and you’re bringing along Odd Future member Taco. You mentioned your interest in punk. I’ve only seen videos of your live shows, and they have the rowdy vibe of a punk show. For those who have never witnessed a Tyler the Creator live show, how would you describe it?

Tyler: I mean, I don’t know. It’s free. It’s just free there. It’s some cool guy on stage. There’s nothing rehearsed. It’s just being free. We jump around and have no cares in the world. I just feel like it’s free there, and you don’t care about anything. You can be 100 percent who you are for that hour and a half.

About The Author

With the exception of two years spent at Auburn University, Steve Centanni has spent his life in Mobile County while focusing on his two passions: music and the written word. As soon as he was issued his driver’s license, Centanni began to explore the local music scene in the early ‘90s.
He filled his weekend with visits classic local venues such as the Four Strong Winds Coffee House, Vincent Van Go-Go’s and Culture Shock, all of which welcomed those who had yet to reach 18. After high school, Centanni traded Mobile for Auburn to complete his B.A. in English with an emphasis on general writing.
While at Auburn, he had the honor of studying under the Pulitzer-winning poet Natasha Trethewey, who served as the nation’s Poet Laureate in 2012 and 2014. After receiving his diploma, Centanni quickly moved back to Mobile and completed the University of South Alabama’s graduate program with a M.Ed. Eventually, he was tapped by the nationally distributed Volume Entertainment Magazine to serve as the magazine’s managing editor/senior writer.
His time with Volume allowed him to exercise his love for both music and writing. As Volume began to fade, Lagniappe recruited Centanni as their Music Writer and later their Music Editor, where he has remained for a little over a decade.
As far as his involvement in the local music scene, Centanni organized Cess Fest at the Langan Park, which was a mini-festival focused on original local music in a time when original local music was veritably taboo in Downtown Mobile. For a short time, he brought original music to Downtown Mobile as the in-house promoter for the now deceased venue Cell Block. He managed local underground powerhouse Fry Cook, until the members parted ways. Centanni has lent his bass to bands such as Keychain Pistol and The F’n A-Holes, and he toured nationally as a member of Abstract Artimus & the Torture Children.
Currently, he provides vocals for the garage blues rock outfit Johnny No. Ultimately, Centanni’s experience in the local music scene as both a participant and an observer has allowed him to witness the ever-changing persona of Mobile’s enigmatic music scene, which continues to leave him with more questions than answers.